Apparatus for transmitting code-impulse combinations



June 5, 1928.

H. A. WALLACE APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTINGCODE IMPULSE COMBINATIONSOriginal Filed May 8, ms

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H. A. WALLACE APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING CODE IMPULSE COMBINATIONSOriginal Filed May a; 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 9w ww w wm mm hvrmw. mw MN .wwmm, um i... I! v W N 3v QM Vm NM hm av 9 A fl w AN Q N Nv MHKPSH\\PN MNi N N W N N w A v. ATTORNEY Patented June 5, 1928,.

* UNITED *mmZ a-am HERBERT A. WALLACE, or" nbolawoonnonowen,zENNsYLvANIA, Assumes 'ro THE,

or ewrssvArn, PENNSYLVANIA, A 003- Union swrrcn: a SIGNAL COMPANY,PORA'I-ION-OF rnnns nvnnrn.

ABPAR-ATUS non 'rmsinw'rmevcopn imronsn comnme'rfons.

Application fijled ifay 8, 1925, serial My. invention relates to,apparatus for transmitting] code impulse combinat ons; I

. Apparatus embodying my invention s particularly adapted for, thoughinno we. 1 limited to, supplying, the trackway of strai way withcodeimpulse combinations" which may be used to control tracliwaysignalsor train carried governing mechanism,- orboth.

I'will describe two formsof apparatus embodying. my invention, and willthen point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, F ig. 1 is a View, largely diagrammatic,showing one form of apparatus embodying my invem tion. Fig. 2 is afragmental view showing, in top plan, the retarding, magnet E of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 isa View showing another form of apparatus also embodyingmyinvention. Fig. i is a top plan view ofthe dash pot of Fig. 3. Fi 5 isasectional view along line VV of ig. 4., I I

Similar reference. characters refer ta similar parts in each of theseveral views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference characters 1 and 1 designatethe track rails of a stretch of railway track. These track rails aredivided, by means of insulated joints 2, into a plurality of tracksections,

of which only one section, AeBfis. shown in the drawing. v M

This track section is at times supplied with code impulse combinationsbya transmitter designated in general by the reference character W. In theform here shown this transmitter comprisesa shaft6 supportedv in suitable journals not shown in the drawing. Attached to this shaft is avane5 of'electroconducting material, by the weight of which the shaft isbiased-toaposition in the ble cord 7 is wrapped around shaftfifandcarries a plunger 8.. This plunger is provided with a winding 9 sodisposed. that when the-winding is energizedjplunger 7 is drawndownwardly, thereby rotating shaft- 6 in a counter clockwise directionas seen in Fig. 1, and raising vane 5against the-force of gravity. Themotion of vane his at times retarded by a damping. magnet E (see Fig. 2)comprising a magnetic corelet provided with a winding 15. The dampingmagnet is 110,218,796; mam Apml :5, i928;

so, disposed that magnetic flux created in the core 14 traverses vane 5,creating eddy cur rents in the vane which-oppose motion of the vane. Acontaetmember16 is operated by ado 90 controlled by vane 5'80 that whenthe vane is in its lower position contact: 16- 16 is closed. As thevanemoves1up wardly this contact remainstclos'eduntil the vane reachesthe upper limit of its stroke, at which timedog 90 engages fin-gerlfi to0 en contact 16,-16" and to" close contact I 16. As the disk returns toits lower position contact 1-6-16 remains closed until the vane reachesits lower position'when dog QOagainengages finger 16 so that contactl(5--16 opens and contact 161 6 againv closes: v 'j I .The vane 5 alsooperates four other con: tacts 20, 19, I8 and 17in such manner that whenthe vane is in its lower position contact20 is closed and "contacts 19,18 and 17 are all open. When the disk cornmenceszto move upwardlycontact 20 opens. After the i vanehas moved'throughabout one quarter ofitsdstroke, contact 19 closes; after the vane hasmoved through one halfof its stroke, contact 18 closes; and. after the vane has moved'throughabout three fourths of its stroke, contact'17 closes. When thevane L isat the, top of its stroke, therefore, contacts a 17, 18 and 19 areallclosedzand contact 20 is open. As the vanereturns to its lowerposition, contacts 17, 18 and 19 are succeSsively opened as the Vanscompletes about one quartenone half and three quarters of its stroke,respectively, and contact 20 is therefore closed when the vane reachesits initial position; I

I I pawl/'10 is pivoted to vane 5' at point vane abuts against a fixedstop 61. IA. fiexi- 1 of a ratchet wheel. 13, the parts being soarranged that the ratchet wheel. is advanced one toothin a' counterclockwise direction for each upward stroke of the vane. I have I hereillustrated the ratchet wheel with six teeth so that six cycles ofvane-5,,each .com-

prising an upward stroke anda downward stroke are required to cause onecomplete rotation of wheel )3, but this particular 1 proportion 15 notessential to my in vention. Three cams 21,23 and 25 are operativelyconnected with wheel 13 and rotate in unison therewith. The cam 21 isprovided with three swells 21* spaced about its periphery andco-operating with a contact 22 so that the contact is closed whenengaged by one of the swells 21. The parts are so disposed that contact22 is closed by the upward stroke of each alternate cycle of vane 5 andthis contact then remains closed till the next successive upward strokeof the vane. Cam 23 is provided with swells 23 similar to those providedon cam 21, and this cam operates a contact 24 in the 1 same manner asexplained in connection with contact 22, but the cams are staggered ontheir axis so that during the alternate cycles when contact 22 isclosed, contact 24 is openand vice versa. Cam 25 isprovided with twodiametrically disposed swells 25 co-operating with two contacts 26 and27. It will be plain from the drawing that the upward stroke of eachthird cycle of vane 5 will close contact v27, that the upward stroke ofthe next succeeding cycle will. open contact 27 and close contact 26,andthat the upward stroke of the next cycle of vane 5 will then opencontact 26. Y

The time required foreach cycle of the vane is controlled by the dampingmagnet E which is, in turn, controlled by contacts 19, 18 and 17operated directly by the vane, by contacts 22, 24, 26 and 27 operated.by theratchet wheel 13-, and by a selector G. This selector comprises apivoted lever 28 and a plurality of fixed contacts co-operatingtherewith. The lever 28 may be operated by any suitable means forming nopart of my present disclosure and omitted from the drawing for the sakeof simplicity. In actual practice the lever would usually be controlledby traflic conditions in advance; The immediate source of code impulsecombinations for section A-B is a transformer T, the primary 3 of whichis constantly supplied with alternating current from the terminals G andD of a suitable source of energy not shown in the drawing. Secondary 4of transformer T is connected, through contact 20 operated by vane 5,across the rails adjacent the righthand end of section A-B. Alternatingcurrent is therefore supplied to the rails only when contact 20 isclosed.

A track relay R is connected across the rails adjacent the left hand endof section A-B and is responsiveto current supplied to the rails of thesectionby transformer T.

As shown in the drawing all parts of the apparatus are in their normalpositions, that is, vanev 5 of transmitter W rests against stop 61, andcontacts 1616 and 20 are closed. but contacts 19, 18 and 17 are open.Contacts 22 and 26 are closed, and contacts 24 and 27 are open. Allcontacts of selector G are also open. Under these conditions alternatingcurrent is continuously supplied tothe rails of section A-B, and relay Ris therefore energized.

In explaining the operation of the apparatus I will first assumethatcontact 2829 of selector G is closed, and. that relay R becomesde-energized, as by the entrance of a train into section A-B. Currentthen flows from terminal C of a source of energy not shown in thedrawing,through back contact I because no current flows through "winding15, all circuits for this winding being open atcontact 1616. When vane 5has completed its stroke dog operates contact 16 interrupting thecircuit just traced and'de-enei gizing winding 9. Vane 5thereforecommences to' return to its lowervposition under the influenceof gravity. The closing of contact 16 16 however completes acircuit forthe damping magnet E, from terminal C, through back contact 40 of relayR, wire41, contact 16-46, wire 42, lever 28 and contact 29 of selectorG, wires 43 and 44, contact 17 operated by vane 5, wire 45, and winding15 of damping magnet E t -terminal D of the same source. The dampingmagnet therefore retards the motion of vane 5 in returning to its lowerposition as long as contact 17 remains closed. After the vane '5 hasmoved downward about one quarter 'of its stroke, however, this contactopens and the vane thereafter moves without rethe cycle just describedis repeated. Each time the v'anereaches its lower position contact. 20is closed, and an impulse 'of alternating current is then delivered tothe rails of the section by transformer T. It will therefore be plainthat when relay R is de-energized, and when contact 28-29 of selector Gis closed, .section 'AB is supplied with a code impulse combination madeup of successive impulses each comprising a plurality ofalternations andeach impulse separated from the preceding impulse by a comparativelyshort time interval.

If contact 28-3O of selector G is closed the operating circuit forwinding 9 is not affected, but at the end of the upward or drive strokeof vane 5, when contact 16 operates, a circuit is closedf for thedamping magnet from terminal C, through ba ck contact 40 of relay R,wire 41, contact 16 -16. operated by vane 5, wire .42, contact28-30 ofselector G, wire contact 18, wires 48 and 45, and winding 15 of magnet Eto terminal D. It willbe clear thatunder these conditions, each downwardstroke of vane 5 is retarded by the magnet E as long as con-' tact 18isclosed, that is, through about/one half of such stroke. Each cycle ofthevane therefore consumes a greater length of time than when contact 2829 of selector is closed and the rails of section A-B are thereforesupplied with code impulse com binations made "up of successive impulseseach impulse separated from the preceding impulse by a timeinterval ofwhat I'shall call medium length to distinguish from the short timeintervals" ofthe code impulse,

combinations supplied by the transmitter when contact 28- 29 of selector'G is closed.

Similarly, when contact 28-31 of selector G is closed, the dampingcircuit is ,from terminal 0, through back contact 40 of relay R, wire41, contact 16-16*,wire 42, contact 2831 of selector G, wire 49, contact19;, wires 50, 48 and 45, and winding 15 of mag net E to terminal D.With this circuit closed each downwardstroke of vane 5 is, retardedthrough three quarters of this stroke and the cycles each require acomparatively long time. Section'A-B is thereforesupplied with acodeimpulse combination com- I prising impulses separated by comparativelylong time intervals.

I will now assume that lever 28 of selector G is moved into engagementwith contact 32. In this position the lever also engages contact 36. Thedamping circuit may then be traced from terminal C, as before,to lever28, and from this lever-the circuit divides into two branches, onepassing through contact 32, wires 43 and 44, contact 17, and wire 45 towinding 15 of magnet E-,and the other throughcontact 36, wires 51Zand52,

short time interval. The upward stroke of the next cycle of vane 5 againcloses contact 22, andas the vane returns to its initial position thesecond time damping is continued through one half the downward. stroke.Under these conditions, then, section A-B is supplied with a" codeimpulse combination in the form of successive impulses separated by timeintervals of which alternate interand the other branch passing throughcontact 37, wire 54, contact 24 operatedby'cam 23, wires 55 and 49,contact '19, and wires 50, 48 and 45 to winding 15- of magnet With thisadjustment of the selectorit will be plain from theforegoing that thecode impulse combinations supplied to the 'trackway comprises successiveimpulses separated by time intervals of which alternate time intervalsare .of short duration, and the remaining time intervals are'oflongduration.

If lever 28 of selector G is moved into engagement with contacts. 34 and38, one

branch of the circuit for winding 15 of mag/- net contains contact22-an'd contact 18, and the other branch contains contact 24 and contact19. Thesecircuits will be plain from the drawing without tracing them indetail.

With the selector in this position, the time.

intervals between successive impulses in the code impulse combinationssupplied'to the trackwa 'y are alternately of medium and of longduration.

When lever'28 oi selector G is moved to engage contacts 35 and 39, themagnet E is energized over a circuithaving one branch including contact28"-85-of the selector and contact 17, as will be-plain without furtherdescription. A second branch passes from lever 28 through contact 39,Wire 56,con-tact f 26,wires 57 and 49, contact 19, and wires 50, 48' and45 to winding 15 ofmagnet E; and a third branch passes through contact39, wire 56,- contact 24', wires 58 and 46, contact 18, and wires 48 and45150 :winding 15 of magnet E. v I will'first assume'that wheel 13 is inthe position illustrated in the drawing-so that contact-'26 isclosed andcontact 27' is open. the next upward stroke of vane 5, contact 26"willbe opened. Contact 27'will'remain' open, and on the subsequent,

downward stroke, vane 5 being retarded by magnet E only so long ascontact 17 is closed completes the first cycle in a comparativelyshorttime. The upward stroke of'the next cycle closes contact 27, andthe downward stroke of the vane during this cycle is therefore retardedtillcontact 18 opens. Similarly, the next upward stroke closes contact26, and the following downwardfstroke o f the vane is thenretarded tillContact 19 opens. *It will be plain, therefore, that the time intervalsbetween successive impulses of the code impulse combination. suppliedtrain moves out of the sect-ion, the impulses supplied to the trackrails energize relay R.

Back contact of relay R therefore opens.

All circuits for transmitter W are therefore open, and contact 20remains closed. Alternating current, is, then, continuously supplied tothe rails and relay R remains energized. It follows that the currentsup-v plied to the rails by transformer T is broken up into code impulsecombinations only when the relay R is de-energized, as by the presenceof a train in section AB.

Referring now to Fig.3, thereference character P designates a magnetdevice comprising a fiat bottom plate 62 upon which is supported aseries of other plates 62, 62 and 62, each of which latter plates isprovided at its outer edge with a dependent skirt or flange, by means ofwhich the plate is supported by the plate immediately below it, and inspaced relation therewith. Each of the plates 62 is of magnetizablematerial, such as soft iron. Between plates 62 and 62 is an annularsolenoid magnet 64, a similar winding 65 is located between plates 62and 62, and a third .winding 66 is v motion of plate M. Contacts 22, 24,26 and placed between plates 62 and 62 Normally suspended from eachplate 62 is a plunger of magnetizable material designated by thereference character 63' with the same exponent as that applied to theassociated plate. The plunger 63 is attached to plate 62 and constitutesa fixed stop. The parts are so proportioned that with all the windings64, and 66 de-energized, the plungers 63 are supported in spacedrelation by the associated plates 62. When winding 66 is energized,plunger 63 is lifted into engagement with plunger 63; when windings 65and 66 are both energized, plungers 63 and 63 are both lifted tillplunger 63 engages 63 and when windings 64, 65 and.

66 are all energized, plunger-s 63", 63" and 63 are all lifted tillplunger 63 engages the fixed stop 63. It will thus be seen that, theamount of upward motion of plunger 63 depends upon how many of windings64, 65 and 66 are energized.

A dash pot K (see also Figs. 4 and 5) controls the motion of plunger 63.This dash pot comprises a cup 73 containing a fluid such as mercury 72.'Rigidly attached which enters .the cup 73 with a small an-.

nular clearance and dips in the mercury 72.

The disk 70 is provided with segmental openings which are at timesclosed by a segmental disk 71 loosely attached to plunger 63 beneathdisk 70. During motion of plunger 63 upwardly the inertia, of themercury forces the disk 71 away from disk 70 and uncovers the segmentalopenings so that only a small force retards this motion. When theplunger returns to its lower position, however, the disks areforced'together, .and the displaced mercury must flow through theannular clearance space between the edges of the disks and the cup 7 3.The dash pot K therefore retards downward motion of plunger 63, but notupward motion of the plunger. I A plate M is attached to plunger 63which plate is provided with three notches 67,68, 69, for operating thethree contacts 17, 18 and 19, respectively. When plunger 63 is in itslower position contacts 17, 18, and 19 are all closed. If winding 66cisenergized plate M is raised to open contact 17, but contacts 18 and 19remain closed; if windings 66 and 65 are both energized, plate M israised far enough to open con.- tacts 17 and 18 but contact 19 remainsclosed; and if windings 64, 6.) and 66 are all energized plate M islifted to its highest position and contacts 17, 18 and 19 are allopened. When the plate M returns to its'lower position contacts 19, 18.and 17 are all closed at the end of the downward stroke. A pawl 74pivotally mounted on plate M operates ratchet wheel13 so that theratchet is advanced one tooth for each upward of current fromtransformer T to the rails of the section is operated by plate M so thatthe contact is closed only when plate M is in its lower position. 7

By means of selector G, energy is sup plied to any selected ones of thewindings 64, 65 or 66. 'For example, when contact 28 -29 of selector Gis closed and back contact 40 of relay R is closed, a circuit maybetraced from terminal 0, through back contact 40 of relay R, wire 41,contact 2829 of selector G, wires 43 and44, contact 17, wire 75, andwinding 66 to terminalD. Plunger 63 is therefore lifted into engagementwith plunger 63, opening contact 20. This motion is substantiallyunretarded by the dash pot K. When this upward motion is completedcontact 17 is opened, thereby de-energizing winding 66. Plunger 63 thenreturns, under the influence of gravity, to its lower position,-beingretarded in this motion-bythe dash pot K. When the plate relay Itde-energized therefore,-- with contact 2829 ofselectorG closed, thetransmitter closes contact 20 at short intervals corresponding to thesimilar intervalsof the apparatus shown in Fig. l. I

If contact 28-30 of selector G is closed, windings and 66 are bothenergized over contact 18, the circuit being plain from the drawing, andin this case, the upward motion of plunger 63 being greater, the returnto its lower position requires a medium length interval. The long timeintervals between impulses is obtained b closing contact '2831 of'selectorG, there y energizing all three of the windings 64;, 65 and- 66over contact 19 for the upward motion of plungor 63. The plungerthenrequires-afcom-s paratively long interval of time return to itslower position; a The various arrangements'ofcede impulse combinationsare obtained by moving the lever28 of selector G to the correspondingpositions, and the operation of the apparatus will be-under'stood fromthe explanation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 without tracing theoperation in detail. Y 1, Although I have herein shown and describedonly two forms of code impulse transmitting apparatus embodying myinvention, it is understood that various changes and modifications maybe made therein within the scope of the appended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Code impulse transmitting apparatus comprising a pair of conductors,a member arranged a contact controlled by said .member for varying thetime required for each such cycle, and means controlled by said memberfor supplying code impulse combinations to said conductors. I I

2. Code impulse transmitting apparatus comprising a pair of conductors,a member biased to an initial position, means for mov ing said memberaway from said initial position, a contact responsive tothe position ofsaid member, means controlled by said contact for retarding the returnof said member to said initial position, and means controlled by saidmember for'supplying code impulse combinations to said conductors.

3. Code impulse transmitting apparatus comprising a pair of conductors,a member biased to an initial position, ing said member away from saidinitial position, means for retarding the return motion of said memberto its initial position, means for rendering said retarding means tomove through cycles of motion,

means for mov-' effective through aivariable portion of such returnmotion, and means-controlled by said member for supplying code impulsecombinations to said conductors, r 4. Code impulse transmittingapparatus biased to 'aninitial position, means for moving said memberaway from said initial position, amagnet for retarding the returnmotionof said member to its initialposition, a-

contactresponsive to the position of said member, a circuit for saidmagnet including comprising a pair of conductors, a member said contact,and means controlledby said 7 7 member for supplying code impulsecombinations-to said conductors.

5. :Code impulse transmitting apparatus comprising a pair -ofconductors, a member biased to an initialposition, means for moving saidmember away from said initial position, a magnet for retarding thereturn motion ofsaid member to its initial position, a plurality ofcontacts successively operated by said member, means for includin aselected one ofsaid contacts circuit wit 1 said magnet, and meanscontrolled-by :said

member for supplying code impulse combinations to said conductors. v

I i 6. Code impulse transmitting apparatus comprising a pair ofconductors, a-member biased to an 1n1t1al position, means for movingsaidmember away from said initial position, a magnet for retarding thereturn motion of said member to its initial position, a pluraliay ofcontacts arranged to'be closed when sai member is moved away from itsinitial position and to be successively opened as the member returns toits initial position, v

means for including aselected one of said contacts in circuit with saidmagnet, and means controlled by said member for supplying code impulscombinations to said conductors.

7. Code impulse transmitting apparatus pair of conductors, a memberbiased to an initial position, means for moving said member away fromsaid initial position, motion of said member to its initial position,

comprising a a plurality of contacts arranged to be closed, when saidmember is moved away from its a magnet for retarding the return initialposition and to be successively opened I as the member returns to itsinitial position, means for including a. selected one of sa1d contactsin circuit with said magnet, a source a of alternating'current, andanother contact controlled by said member for at times connecting saidsource with said conductors;

8. In combination, a stretch of railway track, a track relay for saidstretch, a member, means controlledby said relay and by said firstcontact for repeatedly moving sa1d member away from said initialposition,

means for retarding the motion of said meman initial position, a firstcon her by an amount which varies as the member returns to 1ts lIlltlELlposition, and a second contact controlled by said member ior supplyingcode impulse combinations to said position but to be successively openedas the member returns, other means controlled by said member forincluding different ones of said contacts in series with saidmagnet'durmg successive strokes of said member, and

still another contact responsive to the position of said memberforsupplying code impulse combinations to said conductors.

. '10. A transmitter for code impulse combinations comprismg a memberarranged to 'movethrough a cycle of motion, mechanism for operating saidmember, a contact mecha nism advanced one step for each cycle of saidmember, and means controlled by said mechanism for varying the timerequired for each cycle of said member.

11. Code impulse transmittingapparatus comprising a pair of conductors,a member biased to an initial position, means for moving said memberaway from said initial position, a contact responsive to the position ofsaid member, means controlled by said contact for varying the timerequired for each complete cycle of said member, and means controlled bysaid member for supplying code impulse combinations to said conductors.I i V p 12. Code impulse transmitting apparatus comprisinga pair ofconductors, a member biased to an initial position, means for movingsaid member away from, said initial position, means for retarding themotion of said member, means for rendering said retarding meanseffective through a variable portion of the cycle of said member, andmeans controlled by said member for supplying .code impulse combinationsto said conductors.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. I

' HERBERT A. WALLACE.

